


Alone on the Hogwarts Express

by Only_Dropsie



Series: The Marauders Era, First Year [1]
Category: Harry Potter - J. K. Rowling
Genre: First Meetings, Hogwarts First Year, Marauders, Marauders Era (Harry Potter), Other, Sirius is Alone, Sirius is Nervous, Ted is a good guy
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-02-17
Updated: 2020-02-17
Packaged: 2021-02-28 00:34:00
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,730
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/22774960
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Only_Dropsie/pseuds/Only_Dropsie
Summary: Sirius Black is alone on the train to Hogwarts. He doesn't want to sit with his awful family, but he knows nobody sane would ever befriend a Black. Sometimes, however, all it takes is a little bit of a pep talk from a stranger to show you the way.
Relationships: Andromeda Black Tonks/Ted Tonks (implied), Regulus Black & Sirius Black (mentioned), Sirius Black & Andromeda Black Tonks (mentioned), Sirius Black & Ted Tonks, Sirius Black & Walburga Black (mentioned)
Series: The Marauders Era, First Year [1]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1637365
Comments: 6
Kudos: 49





	Alone on the Hogwarts Express

**Author's Note:**

> Disclaimer: None of the characters or settings used in this story are mine.

Sirius Black had waited for this day all his life. Today was the day he would gain some freedom, and finally be able to step out from beneath his family’s shadow. Platform 9 ¾ had been packed that morning with students bustling around looking for friends, parents looking for their children, younger siblings sneaking off in hopes of hoping on the train. Sirius wasn’t used to this, the excessive laughter and affection on the platform, when parents kissed their kid’s goodbye, and friends hugged after not seeing each other all summer. 

Now though, it was quiet, as Sirius found himself hidden in a hallway, right next to the door connecting his carriage to another. Voices and giggles could be heard in the distance from the compartments, but Sirius was alone. He slid down the wall, sitting on the floor before reaching into his Black Family crested satchel, pulling through it in search of entertainment. Sirius found this entertainment in his new copy of Quidditch Through the Ages, that he had managed to buy in Diagon Alley and hide beneath his floorboards from his mother until he had put it in his bag that morning. 

Walburga Black had nothing against Quidditch, not at all in fact. There were just better things for her sons to do with their time, such as socialise with their cousins (which they would probably end up marrying) and meet with their preapproved friends, all children of their parents’ friends of course. If she knew that right now, her son was sitting alone on the carriage floor, instead of networking with all the people that were to become his lifelong companions, she would go crazy. 

That was part of the reason he was on the floor of the carriage in the first place. Sirius didn’t plan on keeping those relationships going now that he had a bit of freedom in his life. In all honestly he hated the lot of them, every last one of them, except his cousin Andromeda and of course his brother Regulus. No, Sirius was going to spend his time at Hogwarts being free from the restrictions of his family, even if that meant he would spend that time alone. 

You see the problem with being a Black was he was marked for life. None of the other students at Hogwarts would want to be his friend, because he was a Black. He couldn’t blame them really, he came from a family of Muggle Hating, Blood Purists who married into itself over and over again to avoid even a drop of ‘Impure’ blood reaching their veins. 

Sirius began to read his book, learning the origins of Quidditch, and some of the rules. At first time seemed to fly by like the trees, mountains and fields beyond the trains windows, but then it slowed and slowed until it almost came to a stop. He was bored out of his mind, and all he wanted to do was talk to someone about his excitement to start at Hogwarts, but he had no one. Andromeda was Head Girl this year and was busy in the prefect carriage preparing the prefects, new and old, for the year ahead, and Regulus was stuck back in London in that big house all alone with only their parents for company. 

As if on cue the door between the carriages in front of Sirius opened, and in stepped a boy, his fair hair swept to the side by the wind. The boy was about seventeen, handsome, with dark brown eyes. He was tall and lanky, and held himself as if he hadn’t got a care in the world, with goofy smile on his face. Sirius could practically hear his mother in his head scolding the boy, and telling him not to slouch. Sirius jumped to his feet at once, almost as if he had been caught doing something wrong, but the boy paid him no heed. 

“Are you alright there, mate?” The boy asked in an accent Sirius didn’t recognise, it was definitely English but he wasn't from London. 

“I’m great, thank you, I just needed a break from all the noise for a few minutes,” Sirius lied, maybe a little too quickly, because the boy just raised an eyebrow at him before shaking his head. 

“I’m Ted Tonks,” The boy said extending his hand to Sirius, and looked at him expectedly. Sirius shook his hand firmly, like his father had taught him, because a good handshake makes for a good first impression. When Sirius returned his hand to his side, he looked up at the boy to see the expectant look still on his face. 

“Well what’s yours then?” Ted said finally breaking the silence, between the two of them. 

Sirius stared blankly, “My what?” 

Ted laughed, “Your name, you twat, what else?”

Sirius blinked, silently cursing his stupidity, “Oh, I’m Sirius, Sirius Bla-,” he stopped himself, there was no way he could tell Ted the truth about who he was, or the older boy might just throw him off the train then and there.

He lifted his head once again to look at Ted expecting a look of confusion, but instead he was met with a smile, “Looks like I found exactly who I’m looking for then,” as he spoke Ted moved to the wall and slid down it just as Sirius had done earlier, before patting the space beside him in invitation. 

Sirius now confused as ever joined his new acquaintance on the floor, “You were looking for me?”

“I was,” Ted admitted, turning to his head to face Sirius, “Though I must admit I didn’t actually know you were you when I stopped to talk to you,” Ted stopped for a second as if he was taking Sirius in, “I should have though, there is a very definite resemblance, it’s the eyes I think.” 

Sirius froze, Ted knew his family, knew he was a Black. Ted already hated him, and had before he had even met him. Ted had actually come to throw him off the train in an act of revenge against the Black family. 

“Now, mate, care to tell me what you are actually doing out here?”

Wait, why was Ted still being nice? Why did he generally seem to care about him? Why in the world was he still smiling? 

“The carriages are noisy, I needed a break,” Sirius repeated, maybe this time it would sound more true. 

Ted snorted and threw his head back against the wall and left it there, “I know someone else who used to find the carriages a little noisy as well,” he said, “You see she was used to a very silent carriage with proper conversation and all that, but then she got bored of it all and wanted the noise. She wasn’t prepared for the noise though, spent whole year of trips going to and from school in the hallway trying to find her middle ground, until the last trip home of the year when she was finally able to handle the noise and even make some herself. Now she’s always the loudest in the carriage, well second loudest after me of course,” Ted finished with a smirk on his face. 

And then it hit Sirius, like a tonne of bricks, “You’re one of Andromeda’s friends.” 

Ted laughed, “Yeah, something like that.”

A silence fell between the two for a moment, it wasn’t uncomfortable but Sirius still felt the need to fill it, “I’m not like her, you know.” 

Ted stared at him for a moment, a look of something on his face that Sirius couldn’t quite put his finger on, “Well you’re not like the rest of ‘em” 

Sirius considered this for a second. He supposed Ted was right he wasn’t like the rest of them, but he didn’t see how Ted could know that. On the outside Sirius was like his family, he looked like them, he acted like them, he talked like them, he dressed like them, he was every bit as much as a Black as any of the rest of them. 

Ted seemed to be thinking too. He was looking Sirius up and down taking all of him in, with a look on his face that made it seem like he was deciding something. “Sure you certainly look like one of them, and you sound like them, but I know you’re not. Blacks never hesitate to introduce themselves as a Black, you however did. I’ve only ever met one other Black that did that, so I think you’re a little more like her than you think.” 

“I want to be like her, more than anything. I’m just not as brave.” It was the truth Sirius did want to be like Andromeda, befriend who he wanted, and live a life he had chosen for himself. 

“Wanting to be like her means you’re brave, Sirius. The fact you’re not sitting in the Black Compartment like the rest of them means you are brave,” Ted stood up, “Now it’s time to be brave enough to go make some new friends, proper friends.” 

“Nobody wants to be friends with a Black. We are blood purist, muggle hating, awful people,” Sirius replied, lifting himself from the floor. 

Ted reached forward placing a hand of Sirius shoulder, causing the younger boy to flinch before settling under the touch, “I did. I’m a bloody Muggleborn, and a Black just so happens to be one of, if not, my favourite person in this world. I’m not saying it will be easy Sirius, believe me I’m not, but the right people won’t care who you are, and where you come from, and you will find proper friends, maybe even a proper family, Dromeda did,” Ted removed his hand from Sirius’ shoulder and walked towards the entrance to the hallway full of compartments, “And Sirius the sooner you realise you aren’t one of them the better, mate.” 

Ted began strolling down the hallway, hands in his pockets, once again looking as though he hadn’t got a care in the world. About half way down the hall he stopped, turning to look a Sirius, “Go make some friends, it’s not as hard as you think, you already have a new one on this train,” And with that Ted winked at Sirius, before starting off down the hallway again, leaving Sirius alone in his wake.

**Author's Note:**

> Thank you for reading my story, I hope you enjoyed it. This is the first time I have posted something on this site, and the first time I've post a fanfiction in three or four years, so I hope it is up to standard.
> 
> I'd love to hear any feedback, including constructive criticism. I made this account and started sharing my stories to improve my skill. 
> 
> Also if you see any grammar/spelling mistakes in this piece, please feel free to mention them in the comments so I can fix them. I did proof read and edit, but knowing me I definitely missed something.


End file.
